Introduction

According to the Aldi Supermarket website, they believe that you can do ninety percent of your weekly shopping at their store. I believe though, with the right menu plan in tote, you can accomplish one hundred percent of your shopping and save yourself the trip for the other ten percent.

Aldi issued a recipe book this summer offering lots of great meals made out of their own ingredients that they sold. It really was a brilliant idea, but the downfall with the recipe book was that few of the meals that they offered were actually budget-friendly or kid-friendly. I wanted to offer to my readers, a menu plan that was affordable and would actually be a meal that you could share with your entire family (not just the grownups). With this in mind, each of my meals for this menu planner have been broken down by price, the brand names of each of the products, and a price per meal, and price per serving for the family.

Please note that all items that are seasonal (fruit and certain meats) have asterisks next to them to note that they may be unavailable in that particular season. I do try to rely on ingredients that will be available all year long at your store to cut down on the need for shopping at various other stores.

With each meal, there is a cost breakdown of the price per meal and price per serving. Please keep in mind that the grocery list contains the exact number of the items needed while the cost breakdown will include a breakdown of the price regardless of if the ingredient has already been listed or if you already have the item in your pantry. Many of the items (butter, sugar, flour) are just common staples and will probably already be on hand, but I list it in the pricing even though this is probably the case.

The price per serving and price per meal are not necessarily accurate. I do not have a good way (or the knowledge needed) of figuring out the cost of one tablespoon of flour versus the whole five pounds of flour. Instead of trying to estimate this, I simply list the cost of the package (whatever the size may be) and you can be assured that your meal is even cheaper than what I have listed it for.

Just a reminder, in case you were not able to read my Aldi Supermarket - The Real Deal? article, here are a few tips for a successful Aldi shopping experience.

• No coupon clipping is needed for your Aldi shopping experience. Aldi sells, primarily, only off-brand merchandise saving you some time on coupon cutting. Aldi carries only one brand in one size in each of their product category. Just because these products are considered "off-brand", in actuality, many of the private label products are made by well-known brand manufacturers and are simply shipped in different packaging to their stores.
• Aldi only accepts cash, debit cards, and the electronic benefits transfer cards (formerly known as food stamps).
• The store offers a shopping cart rental program. Basically, this means you will need to insert a quarter into the cart to use it. Upon returning the cart, you will receive your quarter back, but be sure to tuck a quarter in your purse before you go. Nothing is more frustrating than having to wait in line for change so that you can get your cart to start you shopping trip.
• Bring your own grocery bags or you can pay for their bags. Paper bags will cost you five cents a pop and the plastic bags will run you ten cents. Along with bringing your own bags, you will also need to bag your own groceries. The cashier will set the groceries in your cart and then you are responsible for the bagging. Aldi provides a long counter where you can bag your groceries. Also keep your eyes out for empty boxes because these are perfect for storing groceries in your car and make carrying your groceries easier.
• Aldi offers a double guarantee on all of their products. If you are dissatisfied with any of their products, they will replace the product and refund your money too!
• Join Aldi's mailing list to receive regular information about their special offers. You can sign up for their email newsletter through http://www.usa.aldi.com